As a research university, members of the HKUST community are accustomed to tracking data and analyzing results. We have taken this same approach to campus sustainability to better understand trends, performance, and areas of need.

In the 2013-14 year, HKUST consumed around 90 million kWh of electricity and an additional 316,000 Units of Towngas (equal to roughly 4 million kWh). Petroleum for cars and trucks was less than 0.25% of the overall energy consumption for the campus. For this hot and humid climate, the largest energy need is air conditioning, which can be seen in the monthly electricity consumption of the campus. The monthly totals also highlight the needs of the main building, which consumes significantly more electricity than all other buildings combined.

Unlike electricity consumption, the main academic building consumes very little Towngas compared to the on-campus staff quarters and catering outlets. The main building and Lee Shau Kee buildings do not provide space heating in the winter, so there are few needs for Towgas.

A big change from last year is the addition of the new Lee Shau Kee Campus, which now accounts for 6% of electricity consumption. All activities outside of academics – student housing, staff housing, food services, and common areas – account for roughly 20% of electricity. Even with the new buildings over the past few years, the majority (74%) of the energy consumption continues to come from the main academic building.